Dragon Ball Z: Sagas

Play with the balls of dragons, and you're playing with fire!

Here we have the fourth Dragonball Z title for the PlayStation 2 in the past three years. The first three, the Budokai series, were nothing short of fast, fun and playable fan-service. For the first time in the franchise's history, Atari gave us DBZ-based fighters worth playing. Budokai 3 marked the absolute pinnacle, creating a game that Dimps (the series' developer) will be hard-pressed to top (although I bet they're hard at work).

That, in some ways, is probably what spurred Atari to commission Avalanche Software (known mostly for Midway game ports) to create a new action/adventure title based on this multi-million selling IP. With Dragonball Z: Sagas, it's a different ball-game. No longer is it about a series of one-on-one battles to the top, but about traversing the strange and wonderful world created by the series creator, Akira Toriyama; A first for the franchise.

Played from a third person perspective, Sagas puts you in control of various characters from all walks of the DBZ universe -- all good guys mind you -- to reenact the events beginning with Raditz's arrival on earth to the showdown with the evil Perfect Cell. Using the series' talented voice cast, loads of footage from the series, non-stop action, and a neat-looking visual engine, DBZ: Sagas set forth on quite the noble mission.

When you start the game, you feel as though you're being sucked into the world of Dragonball Z. Every chapter of the game is preceded by footage from the show, complete with the narrator, setting up the events at hand. Once the level starts, you're dropped smack dab into the middle of the action. You can traverse the game's large, detailed levels by land or even by air -- press X to jump, and then X to hover -- and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

As you make your way through the level, flocks of enemies will randomly appear, and attempt to put an end to your adventure. The combat system's primary component is one utilizing a series of melee attacks (you can kick, punch and guard), which can be expanded to include combos, which you purchase with Z-Coins that you collect throughout the levels. You also have control of the series' patented Ki attacks, ranging from your quick basic burst, to a more elaborate (and destructive) "special move." When using your Ki attacks, not only can you take down enemies, but certain elements of the levels are destructible (rocks, some buildings, etc.) as well. You of course have the ability to gather energy (squat and grunt), and certain characters can transform to a more powerful form if the do enough damage to enemies (think of it like the super move meters in Capcom vs SNK 2). Best of all, Sagas even incorporates a co-op two player mode for when you have friends over.

What are really cool about the combat (the meat and potatoes of this game) are the impacts and explosions are all quite percussive, and give a real impression that you're doing damage. You slam a foe hard enough and sometimes they'll fly into a wall or building, leaving an impact crater. What's not so cool about the combat is the enemies are not only dumber than a box of rocks, but when they attack in droves, the lock-on feature (using L1) is rendered near useless. It's then that survival is based solely on sheer luck. Also disappointing is the all the attacks, save for the special move (specific to each Z-warrior) are the exact same, offering no variety at all. And then there's the fact that the game's camera is completely out of your control. It zooms when it wants, pans out when you least expect it, and hardly ever provides a good view of the action. Why the player has no stroke in the way of camera positioning, especially this late in the life of 3D action games, is beyond me.

In all fairness, none of the flaws in the game mechanics are fatal though -- at least to a hardcore DBZ fan -- but the technical issues are another story. While the game does look great in still shots, when it's in motion, it never maintains a steady framerate throughout an entire scene. And the resulting slowdown -- oh my slowdown! -- coupled with the wild camera, often make the game frustrating to play. I turned the game off more than once out of sheer aggravation (the last level comes to mind).

As a fan, I do have to give a nod where it's due though. The concept of a DBZ adventure game is a novel one. I was amped about this game when it was announced. I mean being able to fly in a DBZ-based adventure game? Oh my heart be still! But man oh man, Sagas as a series has a long way to go before it comes close to stardom.